Duomo di Monza

The present structure of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - a precious treasure chest of history and religious feeling - is the result of the constant attention dedicated to the church, for more than 1400 years, by the major exponents of power in Lombardy and by the population of Monza.

The high artistic and symbolic values represented by the Cathedral justified its recognition as a “National monument” and its inclusion in the UNESCO world list of “Monuments for a Culture of Peace".

The traditional origins of the sacred building date back to the year 595. That was when the first Longobard queen of Italy, Theodelinda, chose the pleasant banks of the river Lambro as the site on which to build her royal palace and an “oraculum” (a chapel) dedicated to St. John the Baptist. This act of foundation by Theodelinda has another great value, indelibly linked with the start of the evolutionary process of Longobard culture which, at its peak - achieved with the final acceptance of Catholicism - gave rise to the first foundation of European Culture.

Due to these historic circumstances - decisive in the history of Longobard and European culture - the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist holds a central role in the context of the Cultural Route “Longobard Ways across Europe”.

Theodelinda's plan

The building of the oraculum and its dedication to St. John the Baptist were the fruit of an enlightened political and religious choice that Theodelinda made. The queen thus gave a tangible proof of her commitment to encourage the acceptance of Roman Catholicism by her people, who were still linked to Nordic forms or worship or to the Arian faith. This gesture had a great impact on Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great), who expressed his appreciation and gratitude by sending Theodelinda the precious gifts that can still be seen today in the Museum and Treasury of the Cathedral.

And in the oraculum, Theodelinda and her husband, King Agilulf, had their son Adaloald, the heir to the throne, baptised with the Catholic rite. This action confirmed a new approach of the Longobard monarchy, transforming the royal office from elective - as it had been until then - to hereditary.

The political and religious process launched by Theodelinda was concluded about a century later, in the final phase of the evolution of Longobard culture, with the blend between cultures and traditions of the Germanic world with those of classical Greek and Roman culture and with Byzantine-Oriental and Slav influences: the foundation stone of European Culture.

Longobard traces

The archaeological investigations indicate that the first basilica - developed from the enlargement of the oraculum - had three apses and simple cross shape. Lying in the eastern half of the present church, the basilica was preceded by a four-arched porch that was used for civil functions until the 13th century. Of the initial phase of the complex consisting of the Royal Palace and the Cathedral there remain the Longobard Tower (set between the chapel of Theodelinda and the old sacristy) and some building elements kept in the Museum and Treasury of the Cathedral.

The Visconti's plan

Towards the end of the 13th century, the Cathedral attracted new attention from the Ghibelline Visconti family. They had become Lords of Milan in 1277 and wanted to link their uncertain genealogy - perhaps Longobard - to the royal lineage of Theodelinda, giving a new boost to her figure and cult. A dynastic reference - backed up by favourable literature - could confirm the legitimacy of the power they had just obtained. As regards the Cathedral, the Visconti confirmed its role as the location of solemn royal coronations in connection with the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan.

Chapel of Theodelinda

The work on the enlargement and embellishment of the Cathedral continued until 1447, when the Visconti dynasty was replaced by that of the Sforza. To mark the change of dynasty - occasioned by the marriage (1441) between Bianca Maria, daughter of Filippo Maria (the last Visconti) and Francesco Sforza - the Zavattari family of artists was appointed to decorate the walls of the Chapel of Theodelinda with scenes from the life of the Cathedral's founder: a dazzling painted masterpiece of International Gothic. Hidden from view behind the nineteenth-century altar, which holds the Iron Crown, there is a stone sarcophagus containing the mortal remains of the venerated Queen Theodelinda.

The Iron Crown

An important date in the legendary and mystical history of the Iron Crown was 1354. In that year, Pope Innocent IV proclaimed the right of the Cathedral to host the ceremonies of the coronations of the Kings of Italy with the Iron Crown that had been kept there since time immemorial. This ruling was not always respected in subsequent years. In 1576, Saint Charles Borromeo instituted the cult of the Holy Nail, thereby recognizing the value of the Crown as a holy relic, now kept in the tabernacle on the altar of the Chapel of Theodelinda.

Chapter Library and Archive

Originating in the Longobard period, the collections of documents in the Cathedral Library and Archive were enriched, from the 10th century onward, with donations from the Emperor Berengar I and with other documents demonstrating the development of schools of canon law. Additional important acquisitions were recorded in the 12th century. They concern especially codices and antiphonaries for liturgical celebrations and the training of the clergy. The Napoleonic authorities confiscated the Treasury and the Library in 1797. In 1817, with the Treaty of Vienna, 115 manuscripts were returned to Monza, but only one third of the incunabula confiscated by the French,

Today the library and archives of the Cathedral contain 253 manuscripts, of which 176 prior to 1500.

Prerogatives of the Cathedral

As a royal institution, the basilica in Monza - which since its origins had received great donations (above all those of Theodelinda and of the Emperor Berengar I) - enjoyed a special regime which, as well as spiritual prerogatives, allowed it to extend its temporal jurisdiction. In 1135, Pope Innocent II took the church of Monza under his direct protection, confirming all the privileges enjoyed by its clergy, and in 1136 the Emperor Lothair II granted the Monza clergy independence from Milan. As a result of these decisions, the archpriest of Monza was granted the power to ordain priests in his church (1150).

The substantial independence of the church in Monza from the archdiocese of Milan can also be seen in the adoption of different rites: for a long time Monza adopted the Patriarchine (Aquileian) rather than the Ambrosian Rite.

The archpriest of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist still holds some ancient privileges: he bears episcopal insignia, such as the mitre and ring, and in solemn circumstances can deploy his own armed guards - the Halberdiers - in the Cathedral. This is a very ancient tradition which, in the context of the Church, is comparable, albeit in due proportion, only to the tradition of the Swiss Guards in the Vatican.

THEMATIC CHARTS

Historical Account of the Cathedral

Legends of the Duomo